Health Secretary who used chauffeur for football was ‘doing job’

Health Secretary Neil Gray was “doing his job” when he used a ministerial car to attend three Aberdeen football matches at Hampden, a cabinet colleague has said.

Gray – an Aberdeen fan – was criticised by opposition figures after The Sunday Post revealed he was chauffeur-driven to three cup games at the national stadium, as well as a league match at Pittodrie.

Gillian Martin, acting net zero and energy secretary, said the events were “in line with his government duties”.

The publicly-funded car trips have all been properly declared and official meetings are said to have taken place each time he attended.

Gray was given VIP seats at Hampden – as a guest of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) – three times, once in his current role and two when he was wellbeing economy, fair work and energy secretary.

The Airdrie and Shotts MSP watched Aberdeen v Hibernian in Scottish League Cup semi-final in November, and the final against Rangers in December, as well as the semi-final of the Scottish Cup against Celtic in April.

The minister, originally from Orkney, was also driven to an Aberdeen home league match against Livingston in May during a day of ministerial visits in the city.

The first two matches were logged on the Scottish government’s ministerial engagements, travel and gifts register as meetings with the SFA about the “social impact” of investment in sport.

The latter two were registered under the subject “sport”.

Gray took over as health secretary in February 2023 from Michael Matheson, who quit ahead of the release of a report into an £11k data roaming bill racked up on his parliamentary iPad.

Martin told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland: “It’s my understanding that Neil Gray was doing his job as cabinet secretary for health and sport and it seems to be he’s done visits in line with his government duties in line with his responsibilities for sport.

“So you would use a ministerial car to get to somewhere where you were doing a ministerial event and that’s pretty standard.”

She added: “The fact of the matter is you wouldn’t get a ministerial car unless there was a ministerial visit attached to that.

“And that’s just a fact. You would not be able to arrange a ministerial car unless it was ministerial business.”

Ministers are entitled to publicly funded car transport as part of their job. The policy states it “cannot be provided from public funds for journeys where the principal purpose is not connected to the performance of ministerial duties”.

Several minsters have used the chauffeur service for sporting events in recent months.

Rural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon was driven to Murrayfield to watch Scotland play rugby, registering it as an event to promote aquaculture.

Siobhian Brown, the community safety minister, went to Scotland’s friendly against Finland at Hampden, describing it as being related to “safer communities”.

Employment and Investment Minister Tom Arthur also used the car service for a trip to Hampden to watch the Scottish Cup final between Celtic and Rangers. He registered it as a ministerial visit for “sport/investment”.

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton MSP said: “This response will not cut it and looks yet another attempt at a cover-up from the secretive SNP.

“It is looking increasingly like Neil Gray has no justification for claiming these trips to Hampden Park were ministerial engagements and he can’t attempt to sweep this situation under the rug.

“The SNP must offer full transparency around the true nature of these visits so that taxpayers can trust their money is being spent wisely.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “These taxpayer-funded trips are bound to raise some eyebrows and Neil Gray must explain clearly how all of these journeys can be considered Scottish Government business.”